Fruit-basket.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. FINLEY, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.l

FRUIT-BASKET.

SPEIFIATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 685,124, dated October 22, 1901.

Application led .Tune 29,1901.

T all whom it may e.; luzern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY O. FINLEY, a citizen of the United States, residingat Oklahoma, in the county of Oklahoma and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and improved Fruit-Basket, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved and cheap basket for handling small fruits, especially grapes. It is particularly designed as a light and cheap substitute for the wooden basket in ordinary use, and the construction of the same is as hereinafter described, and illustrated in appended drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of the basket complete. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central transverse and vertical section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the handle of the basket. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed perspective view showing the arrangement of the clips for securing the handle to the basket.

The body of the basket is rectangular and oblong and has about the same size and proportions as the Wooden grape-basket in ordinary use. The said body is composed of the vertical part u. and the bottom part b, which are constructed and connected as follows: The'vertioal portion a is composed of a single piece of pasteboard, the same being bent into the required rectangular shape and the ends of the piece being lapped at c (see Fig. 1) and secured together at that point. The upper edge d is turned over upon its ebb, and a wire e (see Fig. 2) is extended around the basket beneath such lap. The latter is secured by means of wire clips, which` are inserted at points below the wire and are fiattened on the sides of the body, as shown. The wire e imparts the required strength and rigidity to the upper portion of the basket-body a. The bottom b is also formed of pasteboard and is provided with a downwardlybent iiangefaround its entire edge, so that the bottom proper is raised considerably above any flat surface upon which the basket may be placed. The said bottom b is secured in place, with its flange f in contact with the vertical walls of the body a, by means of Wire clips g, which are flattened so as to lie extended almost flush with the surfaces interiorly and exteriorly. It will be seen that by Serial'No. 66,492. (No model.)

this construction of the bottom e and the arrangement and connection of its angef with the body a the entire lower portion of the basket has a due degree of rigidity and strength complementary to the function of the iiange d handle h is broad audits ends are provided Vwith two parallel slits c', thus forming two narrow tonguesj andA a broader tongue k, the latter extending a good distance below the smaller ones j and being provided at their lower ends with holes for reception of detachable clips Z, whereby they are secured to the sides of the body a, also to the liange f of the bottom b--that is to say, the clips a pass through the parts lc, ct, and f, as shown in Fig. 2, and their ends are bent outward or laterally on the inner side of the iiange f, as shown in Fig. 4. The slits 1l terminate at their upper ends at a distance from the lower end of the tongues 7o, which exceeds the height of the side walls of the body a, and when the handle is applied to the body of the latter the short tongues pass down on the inner side of the body, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and thus the side walls are clamped between the tongues 7a and Z, which have a certain degree of elasticity. The side edges of the bowed portion of the handle hare crimped or turned inward for the double purpose of forming a smooth edge, which will prevent laceration of the hand in carrying the basket, and for strengthening the handle, as required.

The construction, attachment, and means for secu ring the handle h to the basket proper enable it to be readily detached when it is required to transport the basket. In such case it is only necessary to remove the clips Z, when the handle may be lifted upward Without difficulty. The handle may be then placed in the body of the basket or otherwise disposed of as may be most convenient for storage or shipment, (Sac.

To secure due rigidity, the turned edge of the handle extends down to the lower ends of the short tongues l, as shown in Fig. 3.

The pasteboard body a and bottom la of thc rial.

basket are rendered waterproof by the application of some suitable composition or mate- In carrying out this part of my invention I preferably apply the waterproof material to the inner surface alone of the basket, since that will practically suffice.

By the above-described construction I provide a basket well adapted for its purpose and which is much lighter and may be constructed at much less cost than the wooden baskets ordinarily employed and has also a good degree of strength and durability.

l. The combination, with the body and bottom of the basket secured together, of the handle provided with -tongues, which pass down upon the outer side ot the body and also upon the inner side thereof, and secu red in place, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the body and flanged bottom of the basket, of the sheetmetal handle having its ends slitted and provided with tongues, the longer tongues extending down the outer side of the body and being secured to the latter and the flange of the bottom,while the inner tongues pass down on the inner side of the body, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the basket body and bottom, the latter having a ilange as specified, of the sheet-metal handle having tongues extending on the inner side of the bodyand an elongated tongue extending down on the outer side of the said body, and removable clips which pass through said tongues and the body and bottom of the basket, substantially as shown and described.

4. The improved basket-handle having its ends provided with two practically longitudinal slits, thus forming three tongues, the central one being extended below the other, and the shorter ones and also the curved bowed portion of the handlebeing turnedinward, substantially as shown and described for the purpose specified.

5. A fruit-basket comprising the body, the bottom having at its outer edge a depending fiange lapping within the body, and the handle having its ends slitted longitudinally forming inner and outer tongues, the inner tongues lapping Within the body and the outer tongues lapping outside the body and eX- tended downwardly to a point opposite the depending flange of the bottom and secured to such flange and to the body, substantially as set forth.

G. A basket having a handle provided in its ends with two longitudinal slits forming a central and two opposite side tongues and applied to the basket-body with the central tongue on one side of the body and the two side tongues on tho opposite side whereby the handle will be steadied in place upon the basket by the pair of side tongues, substantially as set forth.

7. A fruit-basket comprising a pasteboard body, a pasteboard bottom, and a handle provided at its ends with tongues lapping on the inner and outer side of the body, the outer tongues being extended downwardly toward the bottom of the basket and secured at their lower ends to the body and to the bottom, substantially as set forth.

HENRY C. FINLEY.

Vitnesses:

MARSHALL FULTON, NELLIE TENNEY. 

